This invention relates to an improved center brace for a railroad car, and more particularly, to a center brace that can be interchangeably used in a box, gondola or hopper car.
A center brace or bolster center filler is a box-shaped member positioned between the center sill and body bolster plates and has a single hollow kingpin hole for receiving a kingpin or bolt extending from a railway truck. Heretofore, the center braces required for use in standard box and gondola cars were different than the braces used in hopper cars. This was due to the fact that the distance between the rear draft lugs and the kingpin hole for a brace used in a standard hopper car was 171/8 inches while the standard distance required for use in standard box and gondola cars was 231/8 inches. This difference necessitated two separate braces-- one for hopper cars and one for box and gondola cars-- with the attendant higher manufacturing costs.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a single center brace which is adapted for use with box, gondola, and hopper cars.
It has also been found that center braces have occasionally been inadvertently installed wrong-side up. Such installation can only be corrected by removal and reinstallation of the brace which is both time-consuming and expensive.
Another object of this invention is to provide a center brace which can avoid the problem of wrong-side up installation.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved center brace casting of relatively simple design and construction which achieves economy of manufacture and dependability in operation.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjuction with the accompanying drawings.